Reading 1
2 Cor 9:6-11
Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
You are being enriched in every way for all generosity,
which through us produces thanksgiving to God.
112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9
Responsorial PsalmR. (1b)
Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Meditation: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6)
Most of us know at least one or two people who really exemplify the spirit of generosity. They always seem to be giving things away. When they have something they can’t use anymore, instead of having a yard sale, they will go to their friends and see who needs it. They’ll buy extra clothes for the homeless or cook extra food for a neighbor in crisis. What’s amazing about these people is that the more they give, the more they seem to have—and they give even more away!
This is the kind of attitude Paul wanted to encourage in the Corinthians. He reminded them that God, who gives us everything, is more than able to take care of our needs. And when we imitate him by helping provide for others, he makes sure that we are taken care of (2 Corinthians 9:10).
One of the best examples of this spirit of generosity is found in the Gospel of Luke. In just a few short verses, we learn that not only did the twelve apostles travel with Jesus but also “some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities.” Chief among these was Mary Magdalene, “from whom seven demons had gone out” (Luke 8:2). These women, along with some others, “provided for” Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources (8:3). It seems that they were all so grateful for Jesus’ work in their lives that they were willing to supply whatever he needed so that he could keep traveling, preaching, and healing people as deeply as they had been healed. Jesus’ love, at work in their hearts, produced a compassion for other people and moved them to be just as generous as Jesus.
Jesus had sowed generously into these women’s lives, and he was reaping the harvest of their own devotion to him and generosity for his mission. They, in turn, began to sow generously and reaped from Jesus a harvest of ongoing transformation— and the promise of eternal life. We can all follow their example by receiving generously from Jesus— and then giving it away.
“Lord, may the love you showed on the cross fill my heart, so that I can share it with my brothers and sisters. May I always be able to see you in them!”
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